Heather’s European adventure takes a turn when she meets Jack-sparking an unexpected emotional journey neither of them saw coming.
Chuck says:
They don’t give theatrical releases anymore to the sort of films Lasse Hallstrom makes. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, he was the go-to filmmaker for quirky dramas like “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” (1993), “The Cider House Rules” (1999), “Chocolat,” (2000) “The Shipping News,” (2001) and the underrated “An Unfinished Life” (2005). All critical and commercial hits that catered to mature audiences, this kind of fare collateral damage once the studios adopted the blockbuster mentality, giving massive budgets to films they expected to make $1 billion. With this all-or-nothing approach, Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures and their ilk couldn’t be bothered with making five films at the same price that would perhaps accumulate the grosses they were after.
The limited release method studios have adapted since Covid certainly hasn’t helped though the streaming services have provided a soft place to land for romantic dramas. Unfortunately, more times than not, the quality of the scripts for movies such as these are lacking. Such is the case with Hallstrom’s latest, “The Map That Leads to You,” an adaptation of the novel by J.P. Monninger who, needless to say, is no John Irving or Annie Proulx. Insincere though not overwrought, this bland romance is brought low by its two leads who bring an earnestness to their roles but generate little passion between them. Simplistic and half-baked, this is a film that will play well with the cell phone generation it’s aimed at. Predictable and told with broad strokes, you don’t have to really pay close attention to know what’s going on.
Before starting her banking job in New York City, Heather (Madelyn Cline) embarks on a tour of Europe with her friends, Connie (Sofia Wylie) and Amy (Madison Thompson). Taking in the sights during the day and partying at night, the attractive trio are bound to get romantic overtures. And while Connie finds the love of her life and Amy winds up getting scammed, Heather meets someone who, at first blush, is a bit of a mystery. Jack (KJ Apa) is a free spirit, the sort that if you were to meet him in real life, you’d likely want to punch him in the nose. Case in point: the film’s meet cute involves him climbing into the overhead baggage area above where Heather is sitting to get a bit of shut eye. His dazzling eyes and “deep” insights allow him to reel in the young woman and before you know it, she’s thinking of forever.
Well, it would be a really short film and a rather dull one if they were to live happily ever after, so it comes as no surprise that Jack has a SECRET! It’ a big one, which, of course, he cannot share with Heather. Confusion is felt, tears are shed, and I rolled my eyes.
While I was happy once this predictable mess came to an end, Hallstrom opts for an ending that’s far too abrupt. Perhaps he did so to alleviate our suffering and, if that’s the case, I thank him. Yet narratively it’s far from satisfying, which, coupled with the lack of chemistry from the two leads, makes for a rather tedious exercise. Granted, I am not the target audience for this film, so really my opinion means nothing. I’d be willing to bet “Map” will be Amazon Prime’s number one film for the next ten days, once the teens and twentysomethings start to sing its praises on social media. More power to them. Let’s hope the algorithm that suggests movies similar to what they’ve watched will be the map that leads them to something more substantial.
2 Stars
